The Hunt
by Lalene Brooks
Summary: Discontinued. Narelle knew it wouldn't be easy when she decided to take in the mutant hater's daughter. When the attacks from him become increasingly harder to escape and survive they flee he pursues, they make some new friends and the hunt begins.


Author Note:  
  
Vegemite: It's an Australian bread spread that most people find disgusting.... mainly because they think it's a chocolate spread and spread it real thick... not a good idea unless you're my sister... It's a type of yeast extract... or that's what it says it is..... If you ever try, or have and didn't like it put it on toast with 2 parts butter to 1 part vegemite....  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
CHAPTER 1 The Rescue  
  
Nobody noticed the light-brown skinned woman with blond streaked black hair as she stepped out of the airport terminal and sniffed the air. She wrinkled her nose and turned around. A teenage boy with the same brown skin and an Asian looking girl came up to her.  
  
"Bart's waiting at customs, Izzy is with him." The girl said to her.  
  
"So where to from here Narelle?" The boy put in.  
  
"Well, first we go that way," Narelle said pointing across the road and down a bit, "to the bank and get this check cashed, and then that way to rent a car." She finished pointing in the opposite direction.  
  
"I could go and cash the check while you wait for Bartram and Isadore, if you want." The boy asked.  
  
"OK." Narelle said fishing the traveler's cheque out of her backpack.  
  
"Do you want me to go with you?" The girl asked.  
  
"Nah, I'll be right, Leila. I'll be back in a jiff." He went to leave but Narelle caught his arm.  
  
"Casey, be careful." He nodded and took off down the street.  
  
"Nar, you know he can look after himself." Leila sighed.  
  
"Yeah, but America has a bit of a problem with mutants."  
  
"A BIT?" A man, who was passing by in a suit, spat. "They're everywhere and they could be anyone. I keep a gun in my briefcase, ready to give one what- for if they try and pull one over on me!" He said raising and patting his case. "You should arm yourselves."  
  
"We couldn't!" Cried Leila in alarm. The man narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"'Cause we're Australians. We're not used to handling firearms. They'd be more of a hindrance then a help." Narelle replied quickly after a glance at Leila. "Don't worry, there's five of us together and there's safety in numbers."  
  
"Well, welcome to America." The man said walking away. A short time later a large black man walked out of the airport carrying three large suitcases followed by a tanned woman carrying two.  
  
"Well Bartram, I hope you're happy." The woman said in a mock huff, dumping her burden on the ground followed by the other three cases.  
  
"You know I am. Izzy." He replied hugging her affectionately around the waist from behind.  
  
"They let you keep it then?" Narelle asked with a smile.  
  
"Well when he made it perfectly clear he wasn't going to leave without his vegemite, they checked it, charged him fifteen Australian dollars and gave it back." Isadore said and they all laughed.  
  
"Hey, what are we laughing about?" Casey asked, as he ran up, not in the least out of breath.  
  
"Bart wouldn't leave without his vegemite and they finally caved." They all laughed again and picked up a suitcase each. Narelle led the way down the street to the car rental office, Bartram retelling the story on the way.  
  
"And then," he recounted as they entered, "He said 'is it supposed to taste this bad?' Can you believe that?" Narelle gave a small laugh and surveyed the attendants. She selected a gentle-looking woman and approached her.  
  
"Hi, how can I help you?" Her voice was soft and almost as silky as Isadore's.  
  
"Hi, OK I apologize if I'm a bit blunt but I like to get straight to the point." The woman nodded so Narelle continued, "I'm looking for a four- wheel-drive with five seats and backseat access to the trunk. I'm not fussed with color, model or make but I would prefer an automatic." The woman, Tina her nametag showed, nodded again and searched through her computer.  
  
"I think I found just the one. Would you like to see it first?" Tina asked  
  
"No, I trust you." Narelle replied with a smile.  
  
"Right. I need to see a license and how will you be paying?" Narelle passed Tina her international driver's license.  
  
"American cash OK?"  
  
"Sure. Let's see here, no to organ donor."  
  
"Well it would be yes but my doctor says I can't."  
  
"And it says 'Evo number - 60219' here, what's that mean?"  
  
"That's why I can't be a donor. It. uh. It's an Australian term."  
  
"For?"  
  
A pencil suddenly lifted off of the counter scribbled a note on a post-it and dropped back to the counter. Tina looked at it stunned, then to Narelle, then to the post-it, and then laughed. The post-it read 'I wouldn't have a clue.' Narelle smiled relieved.  
  
"Nice penmanship." Tina said as they sealed the deal. This time it was Narelle who laughed.  
  
"Took me a while to make it legible though." Tina smiled  
  
"I sent up for the car, it should be waiting out front. Just give this to the attendant." She said handing Narelle a ticket with the number 23 on it. Narelle thanked her and went back to her group ushering them out the door. She went up to a dark blue four-wheel-drive with a man standing beside it.  
  
"Twenty-three?" He asked as she approached. Narelle handed over the ticket and took the keys from him. They put their suitcases and back packs in the trunk and climbed in. Bartram and Isadore happily sat next to each other in the backseat, with Casey taking the other side of Isadore. Leila sat in the front and Narelle slid behind the wheel.  
  
"Well, it was a long flight so I say we just find a motel and crash." There were noises of agreement throughout the car as Narelle pulled away from the curb and into traffic.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"Thanks!" Narelle called out as she left the office. "Right," she said in a normal voice turning to the four people leaning on the car. "I have a double for Bert and Iz, a single for Casey and a twin single for me and Lil. Now don't unpack cause we're only staying one night. The guy in there doesn't like Evos and I'd rather he didn't know we that are OK?" Everyone agreed to behave and disappeared into their assigned rooms.  
  
* * * * *  
  
She was walking down the street, always looking around, but not specifically. Like she was looking for something easy to spot. She had gloves on, long ones that went all the way up to the bottom of her armpit. Her light-blue top matched well with the violet skin-tight leggings and faded red high-heel boots. A long cotton, lavender, scarf flew out behind her as she walked. The colors were weird and mismatched but with her black hair and white bangs it seemed to work. As she approached an alley four goons came out of it. The leader wolf-whistled at her. She walked past him, ignoring him completely. He grabbed her arm.  
  
"Hey babe, how 'bout you an' me go back to my place and get busy?" he said suggestively.  
  
"I can think of two ways that would kill you." She snapped back wrenching her arm free. The goons laughed.  
  
"So kill me." The leader said grabbing the back of her neck and kissing her. She pushed him off but it was too late. His eyes bulged and he fell back unconscious.  
  
"He's fine, he'll wake up in a few weeks." She said off handedly and she turned to leave, but one of the goons grabbed her scarf as it flared out behind her. He pulled on it sharply, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards.  
  
"What did you do to him FREAK?" the goon asked  
  
"Nothin' he didn't deserve. She said back defiantly. The goon kicked her in the stomach. Winded, she curled up and while she tried to get her breath back the other two goons picked up bits of wood from an old packing crate. One of them brought the wood down on her arm.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Leila opened her eyes wide with a small gasp. She sat up and orientated herself. She was in America, in a Motel and NOT in some alley looking like someone completely different. She looked at the clock. 7:30.  
  
"Morning Lil," Narelle had just come through the door to the room. "Everyone else is just about ready to go, and I checked that there are no security camera's in the room so you can." Narelle turned the hot tap on the basin on full. Leila got out of bed with a sigh and called the hot steam to surround her like a cloud. While Leila hid in the mist, which cleaned her as she changed, Narelle made her bed while using her mind to make Leila's and tidy the rest of the room. Leila dispelled the steam and emerged dry, clean and changed.  
  
"Sometimes I wish I could do that." Narelle said as she turned the tap off. Leila smiled and they picked up their suitcases and left the room. The others were waiting outside. Narelle unlocked the trunk and they dumped their cases in while Narelle went to return the keys.  
  
"There's a café not far from here. I thought we could walk there for breakfast." Narelle suggested when she returned they agreed and they all set off. Narelle paused, feeling a tickle on her mind but it soon passed and she ran to catch up.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"So what d'ya think guys?" Leila asked. They were eating breakfast and Leila had just finished recounting her dream.  
  
"Are you istill/i having trouble telling premonition and dream apart?" Casey asked, almost bored. Narelle and Leila glared at him.  
  
"Which do you think it was, Lil?" Narelle asked sounding all the mother and teacher, which, despite being only a few years older than the others, she was to everyone in the group.  
  
"Well it was probably a premonition because if it was a dream then it would have been a bit confusing to the conscious mind and I probably would have been in it." By now everyone had just about finished his or her breakfasts. Narelle was about to say something else when she stopped. Her extraordinary hearing picked up on something. It must have been nearby because Isadore picked up on it to.  
  
"Premonition it is then," she tossed her wallet to Leila "Cloud pay the bill." Leila sighed and got up to pay the bill. It was always serious when Narelle called them by their battle names. Narelle led the group, minus Leila, out of the café and across the street to an alley where noise of a struggle could be heard. Narelle raced in first, flipping over onto her hands while pulling the wood out of the goons' hands with her mind, then kicked one of them down as she flipped back over to her feet. She moved with the grace, agility and balance of a cat. Bartram and Casey were the next to race into the alley and they each kicked a goon away from the woman they were attacking.  
  
"Raven! Cover!" Narelle called, Bartram obliged and knelt next to the victim generating a dome-shaped shield to cover them. He gave her a visual once over.  
  
"Isis! She's in bad shape but conscious." He called out to Isadore who joined them in the alley. Narelle pushed the goon she had kicked down over to the alley wall with her mind. The guy Casey had kicked aside had recovered and charged him. Casey gestured with his hand and the man froze mid-run, like someone had pressed pause on a movie, but everyone around him continued as normal. The one Bartram had shoved aside charged Narelle, who sidestepped him. He tripped but stopped mid-fall from being impaled on a large piece of broken glass. While Narelle and Casey lined the last two goons up against the wall, Isadore knelt beside Bart and the injured woman.  
  
"Hi, I'm Isis, What's your name?" Isadore asked gently, reaching for her forehead.  
  
"I'm Rogue, don't touch me." She croaked out in panicked reply. Isadore smiled as gently as she spoke.  
  
"I know, you're a life-taker, don't worry. I'm a life-giver I have plenty to spare. Now Rogue, if I'm to heal you it would be easiest if I could see in to your mind. Will you let me?" Rogue gave a small nod and slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
"You stopped me from getting' killed!" One of the goons was amazed.  
  
"We don't kill or let be killed unnecessarily." Narelle said not really paying attention.  
  
"What about him?" another asked indicating their leader.  
  
"Isis?" Isadore spared a glance over her shoulder.  
  
"He's fine." She said.  
  
"And we're supposed to take a mutant's word for this?" The goon shot back.  
  
"You really are a piece of work." Narelle replied incredulously, "What gets me is why you decided to stay here and beat the hell outta her instead of taking him to a hospital." The goons sat in silence.  
  
"Kat, I could use a hand." Isadore called. Narelle knelt next to her after gesturing to Bartram to guard the goons. They linked hands and Isadore sent Narelle some of her gift so she could see what Isadore did. She could see right through Rogue's body. It didn't look good. Isadore called her attention to the ribs. Several were bruised or broken and one.  
  
"Is that a punctured lung?" Narelle asked.  
  
"Yeah. I need you to lift the rib and hold it there. I have to mend the lung before I can do anything else." Narelle did as asked and Isadore plunged her free hand through Rogue's skin like a ghost and pinched the hole in the lung stimulating it to heal. After it had she began to knit the rib back in place.  
  
"Hey Kat, we're gonna have company." Leila said as she walked into the alley knowing full well she had missed the action. Isadore nodded to Narelle to indicate she could go. "I can head off the weather woman," Leila continued "but watch out for the red-eyes and the healer with claws, they're gonna be a bit edgy." She called down a cloud and jumped on to it. "Oh and be gentle, they're the good guys." Leila rose to the top of the buildings surrounding the alley and sat on her cloud to wait. Narelle looked around.  
  
"Ghost, cover the goons. Raven, with me." Casey sighed and stood by the bad guys against the alley wall. He was disappointed about not being up for the impending confrontation, but no one disagreed with Narelle when she was in combat mode. That was suicidal, plain and simple. Narelle and Bartram had just made it to the end of the alley when two guys came running up. One was wearing a visor with a red band covering the eyes the other was very muscular and had a wild-loner quality to him. Half a second after the four registered the other party three things happened at the same time. Bart raised a shield around himself and Narelle; the wild-looking man drew blades from his knuckles with a distinct 'snikt' sound and the man wearing the visor brought his hand up to the side of his head. Narelle knew that the situation had to be diffused quickly. Her logic dictated that if these were indeed 'good guys' as Leila had said they wouldn't be up for hurting people unnecessarily. As Bartram stared down the guy with the blades Narelle turned her attention to the other. She knew what the visor was as she had seen some people in Australia wearing variations. She also knew this guy was more than prepared to fire. Narelle lifted him up a few inches with her mind to show she was kinetic.  
  
"Hand down unless you prefer the inside of your eyelids." She said in a dead-serious tone she always used when facing an opponent. He considered her then dropped his hand; in return she put him back on the ground. She turned her attention to the other one. While his body language made it clear he wasn't prepared to retract his blades, it also showed he wouldn't attack without good reason.  
  
"I take it you guys are Rogue's cavalry?" Narelle said in such a way that it both lightened the mood and insinuated that Narelle and her team weren't sinister.  
  
"Where is she?" His gruff voice matched his wild-dog like physique. It enhanced the feeling that he was a pack animal and Rogue was an important part of that pack. In an action of complete trust, Narelle turned her back on her opponents and walked back into the alley with Bartram and the others following close behind.  
  
"She's not in good shape but Isis is doing what she can." Narelle said before turning her head skyward. "Cloud!"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Bring your new friend down here." As two people descended from the sky a rather long and harsh, considering the origin, string of expletives came from Isadore.  
  
"She's slipping!" The guy with the blades, which he had retracted, didn't wait for an invitation. He knelt next to Isadore and began prying his glove from his hand. "If that's what you're planning you're gonna have to let me in your head." Isadore said trying desperately to keep Rogue from dying. He glared at her. "If you're going to give up your healing ability I need to know what I'm going to need to heal on you." She shot back defensively. He thought fast and after a look from Isadore nodded and held his hand to Rogue's bruised cheek. His veins bulged, old wounds appeared and opened and he fell to the alley floor unconscious. Isadore closely monitored them both, offering aid when one of their bodies had a wound that wouldn't heal fast enough.  
  
"They're stable but neither of them will be conscious just yet. He's given it to her before hasn't he?" Isadore asked.  
  
"On countless occasions." A woman with white hair and a similar skin pigment to Narelle said as she landed softly on the ground, Leila preferring to remain seated on her hovering cloud.  
  
"His body is becoming resistant to her, that's why it seems to be working less effectively."  
  
"We should get them back to Xavier's" Narelle could tell that the man with the red visor was still a bit edgy. His team was outnumbered two to one with another potential foe left to attack two unconscious allies. She looked at Isadore.  
  
"Okay, but I'll need to stay with them, just in case." Isadore said.  
  
"I'll call Jean and have her bring out the van, we can't put both of them in the car." The man said. Not a codename, he was relaxing.  
  
"We have a car that will fit them in, if we move our stuff to the roof rack." Narelle offered without a beat. She tossed the keys to Casey, who disappeared in a white puff of smoke, and motioned Bartram to take his place.  
  
"And why should we trust you?" Not hostile. Just checking.  
  
"Cyclops." The warning came from the woman, but it was clear by her tone who the leader really was.  
  
"No, it's okay," Narelle interrupted, "He's just a leader trying to protect his team. I'd have said the same thing." She turned to face Cyclops. "We come here and kick norm butt to save her AND give her immediate medical assistance. We kick but not kill, and you're still standing despite being outnumbered two to one." Casey pulled up to the mouth of the alley. He got out and began putting their luggage on the roof rack. Narelle instructed Bartram and Leila to help him and while facing the goons, concluded her reasons. "Besides, Wolverine seems a good judge of character." Cyclops tensed again.  
  
"How did you know his name?" Narelle shrugged it off as trivial.  
  
"He shared it with Isis and she shared it with me."  
  
"So now you know."  
  
"Not much more." Isadore interrupted him. "I promised I wouldn't look at anything I didn't have to."  
  
"Oh, I see." He didn't have anything to say after that. There wasn't really much TO say. Narelle saw that the others were nearly finished and sighed.  
  
"Hey, Isis, spare a moment to get him on his feet?" She said indicating the unconscious head goon. Isadore looked over both her patients and nodded. She stood. After kneeling down again he gave the goon a closer look. While Isadore held a hand on his cheek Narelle turned to her team, who were now folding down the back seat and spreading blankets.  
  
"Raven!" Bartram looked at Narelle then extricated himself from the car. As he walked over the goon awoke with a start and started shuffling away from Isadore. Narelle held him in place with her mind and Isadore stood up. She was noticeably pale now and she staggered. Cyclops caught her arm to steady her.  
  
"Kat?" Bartram asked looking nervously at Isadore who was almost leaning on Cyclops.  
  
"I'll need my energy to steady those two on the trip so you have to give her some of yours." Narelle said concentrating on keeping the goon still.  
  
"Sure," He replied taking Isadore from Cyclops. "Take what you need Isis." They linked hands and almost instantly the color returned to her face. Bart felt a bit dizzy but he cleared his head with a shake. Isadore knew the most she could take without taking too much. After being assured that she was okay Narelle turned her full attention to the gang. She let the leader go but he had given up on moving.  
  
"Get up." She commanded in her dead-serious voice once more. Obviously scared he rose to his feet and she looked at the rest of the goons telling them with a mere glance to do the same. "Right. Now none of you would have so much as a stubbed toe if you hadn't struck first. It's not her fault she can't control her mutation. Do you think she wears those things by choice, and in the middle of summer? Now I don't expect i scum /i like you to apologize, but I do expect you to keep the law out of this. No one will convict anyone, mutant or otherwise for self-defense. I want you to think long and hard about the type of people you have become, how you would feel if you found out if you were a mutant and even though you didn't choose to be, you were hated because of it. Now get outta here." The goons scarpered as soon as Narelle finished. She let out a long breath and turned. Cyclops was staring at her. "What?"  
  
"I'm just glad you're on our side." He said amazed.  
  
"You believe we are then?"  
  
"If you can look me in the eye and say so." Narelle squared her shoulders and looked directly at the red strip in front of his eyes.  
  
"I, and everyone on my team, would never intentionally cause or let harm come to you or anyone you ally yourself with." She said in a deadpan tone. Cyclops nodded.  
  
"Good enough for me." Casey and Leila, who had abandoned her cloud for solid ground, walked into the alley and announced that the car was ready.  
  
"Casey, you wanna give me a hand?" Casey linked hands with Narelle to share their energy and together they lifted Rogue and Wolverine with their minds and put them into the trunk of the car, headfirst. Isadore climbed in after them.  
  
"OK." Narelle said as she turned to everyone else who had gathered around, "I've been thinking about how to get everyone to where we're going. I think it would be best if one of you drove our car, rather than us try and follow and possibly get lost." Cyclops nodded, and Narelle continued. "Isadore and I will be riding in the back with them, that means the passenger seat will be available." She looked pointedly at Bartram who nodded. Narelle turned to Casey and Leila, "That leaves you two to go with. ah." Narelle only just realized that the woman wasn't there.  
  
"Ororo went to get the car." Cyclops said. Narelle nodded mentally cursing herself for not noticing.  
  
"Hey Narelle, can I." Leila started but was interrupted by Narelle.  
  
"No."  
  
"You didn't let me finish!" Leila whined.  
  
"Unless the next word was burp you didn't have to." Narelle shot back in a fake whiney voice.  
  
"But I just."  
  
"Leila Jane, don't argue with me." Narelle said a firm but not angry way. "We don't know how far it is and despite what you think, you do not have that much control." Cyclops raised an eyebrow; Bartram and Casey rolled their eyes. No doubt this was a regular occurrence.  
  
"It's obviously not that far. I could do it and you know my control is better than that." Leila protested. Jut then Ororo pulled up in a small two- door car and Narelle put her foot down.  
  
"Not if you have the mentality of an infant it's not. Now get before you forget how to walk." Leila muttered under her breath and followed Casey and Cyclops over to the small car. Everyone else climbed into the four-wheel- drive and waited until till Cyclops returned from talking to Ororo.  
  
"You okay Izzy?" Bartram asked while they waited.  
  
"Little tired but fine. They don't need much more help. He'll be waking up soon. Before her anyway." Isadore turned to Narelle "When he does, can you hold him? He'll probably wake up before we get there." Narelle nodded and then Cyclops returned. He had replaced his visor for red sunglasses. He slipped into the driver's seat and pulled into traffic before he spoke.  
  
"You know, I don't usually trust someone before I know their name." Narelle smiled  
  
"Me neither. I'm Narelle Terence, alias Kat."  
  
"Scott Summers, alias Cyclops." He said in reply. Narelle decided since they were going to their base she should make sure that the rest of her team were known.  
  
"That big guy next to you is Bartram Hancock, alias Raven. This here is Isadore Belle, alias Isis. The other two are Casey Terence, alias Ghost and Leila Terence, alias Cloud." Scott considered this.  
  
"The other two, they are your brother and sister?" He asked. Narelle laughed.  
  
"Casey is my brother, Leila is my. daughter."  
  
"Daughter?" He was doubtful  
  
"Adopted." Narelle clarified.  
  
"Ah."  
  
"And what of your team?"  
  
"Well, Ororo Munroe's driving the other car, her alias is Storm. And those two, well they tend to keep to themselves. There's Logan, alias Wolverine and Marie or Rogue."  
  
"And Jean?"  
  
"Ah, yes well there are plenty more back at the mansion, but you'll meet them there."  
  
"Narelle," Isadore drew her attention away from Scott. She focused a bit more of her energy onto Logan to hold him in place just as his eyes flickered open. Isadore looked into his eyes and was obviously having a telepathic conversation with him. After a minute or two she looked at Narelle who released Logan after making sure he was actually on the floor of the car. He sat up and looked around. His eyes rested on Rogue and refused to stray further. Just when Narelle began to wonder how much longer was going to be spent in silence, the car slowed and they turned through some gates bearing a sign.  
  
'Xavier's School for gifted youngsters'  
  
* * * * *  
  
Narelle looked around the large entrance hall. Logan had insisted on being the one to take Rogue to the med bay, so while Ororo went with him, Scott showed Narelle's team into a large office. A bald man sat in a wheelchair behind the desk talking to a woman with red hair. They stopped when Scott closed the door behind himself.  
  
"Professor Charles Xavier?" Narelle asked.  
  
"Yes." His voiced conveyed some confusion. Obviously Scott had told him telepathically that he hadn't mentioned his name. The Professor tried to probe Narelle's surface thoughts but she mentally snatched his probe making him gasp. Scott and the red haired woman no doubt held him in high regard and would defend him to any and all ends, so she had to make her point quickly.  
  
"I let you get away with that this morning because I was half asleep at the time and it let me learn who you are. Now we are face to face and I would appreciate a little courtesy for our mental privacy. We are open people, when given the chance." She let go of his mind and he let out a breath. He and the woman looked at her in awe. Narelle turned to say something to her team but saw Scott's amused smile and paused.  
  
"Is that powerful speaking voice of yours part of your mutation?" He asked his voice as amused as his smile. Narelle laughed.  
  
"You've never met an Australian social worker with mutant abilities and a superiority complex, have you?" Some of her team laughed at the memory. "All right guys, shut em off." With her words Bartram reached for his belt, Casey for his watch and Leila for her necklace. A second later their appearances changed. Leila's blond hair turned bright blue and her eyes yellow; Casey's skin went from the same brown as Narelle's to a very pale white and his black hair went white as well. Bartram didn't change any except for the large black wings that appeared over his shoulders. Everyone in the room that wasn't a member of Narelle's team raised an eyebrow. Professor Xavier gestured to the sofa in front of his desk and looked at Narelle.  
  
"I must apologize." He said but Narelle shook her head.  
  
"You seem like a reasonable man and reasonable men don't do something like that without reason. I'd wager you've come across many a person who weren't forthcoming in their answers." She said as her team filled the sofa. He chuckled.  
  
"You're very perceptive."  
  
"Not nearly as much as you give me credit for, and even less when I'm by my self." Narelle stood behind the sofa and folded her legs up hovering in mid air just behind the heads of her team. She looked to Scott, telepathically inviting him to introduce them, which he did, including their aliases. He then introduced the woman as Jean Grey or Phoenix.  
  
"So you healed Marie, Miss Belle?" Xavier asked when Scott had finished.  
  
'It's Doctor actually and yes." Isadore replied.  
  
"But you can't be any more than twenty!" Jean was amazed and doubtful.  
  
"She's nineteen," Narelle explained proudly "she was skipped ahead a few grades in school and her abilities helped to fast track her medical degree."  
  
"Well that explains how she knew what she was doing." Xavier muttered then spoke up. "You are from Australia?" Narelle nodded.  
  
"Yes, but I must admit we were hesitant to leave." Leila shifted uncomfortably. Narelle could tell he was curious but telepathically asked him not to ask why just yet. He nodded then asked a different question.  
  
"Where are you heading?"  
  
"Wherever we end up." Narelle answered.  
  
"Well." Xavier said almost cheerfully "It appears you ended up here and I believe we have a few rooms available." Narelle thanked him and her team got up. Scott and Jean were told to show them rooms. Narelle stayed behind and as they were leaving asked Bartram to take care of her things. After they left she pulled her mind back and tugged on the top of the sofa, causing her to fall and land sitting down on it. She smiled and put her hands in her lap, waiting for the questions to start flying. He wouldn't get information in the way he wanted so questions it was, but he didn't start with the most obvious.  
  
"So what are your groups abilities?" Narelle sighed.  
  
"Listed?" He nodded. "Okay, me. I'm telepathic, telekinetic and I have heightened olfactory and auditory senses and good agility. Bartram can generate a shield with his mind; he's incredibly strong and also, obviously, has the gift of flight. Isadore is telepathic and empathic; she can heal herself and others and provided she looks into their mind she can see throughout a person's body, not to mention she has one heck of a scream. Casey is telekinetic and to a much lesser degree telepathic; he can also teleport and do what I call the freeze frame. Finally, Leila is precognitive, she can tell what ability a mutant has and tell if someone is telling the truth, which has nothing to do with telepathy, it's the aura, and she can also manipulate clouds and mists, in fact she quite enjoys solidifying the center of a cloud and flying about on it. Oh and something that she has and needs no control of, her hair reflects the sky."  
  
"That's quite a powerful group you have there." Xavier said once she was finished.  
  
"Now you understand how my strong speaking voice became so practiced." Narelle laughed.  
  
"What does the 'freeze frame' do?"  
  
"Depends. On normal people it freezes them in time; on mutants it disables their abilities."  
  
"Interesting."  
  
"Yeah, caused hell until we figured out what it was and trained him to control it." Charles chuckled. Somehow Narelle couldn't picture him laughing.  
  
"So what are you to them?"  
  
"Well there's a long story behind that, but for now I'll just say this. In essence I am their big sister with the authority of a mother. Legally I iam/i mother to all of them except Bartram, his parents wouldn't sign the adoption, and Isadore I suppose, now that she's of legal adult age I'm just her next of kin."  
  
"Well I think the last question I have to ask is, why were you hesitant to leave Australia?"  
  
"I was wondering when you'd get to that. Australia is a good place. You may have noticed that anyone representing Australia tends to avoid the subject of mutants with other countries. That's because they have decided that we are in fact the next step of evolution and have ruled us equal to everyone else, but more powerful nations like America are still indecisive and our government doesn't want to risk a war. Our defense forces aren't what they should be. I suppose it helped that Australia was already multi-cultural before this issue came to pass. I'm not sure if associations like the Ku Klux Klan and Friends of Humanity are outlawed but they are looked down upon."  
  
"Then why idid/i you leave?"  
  
"You noticed Leila wasn't comfortable when the topic arose?" He nodded. "Her father, He's in the FoH. When he realized that where she was living was occupied entirely with mutants he sent many attacks. They got harder and harder to avoid and survive so we decided to come here where there is enough mutants trying to hide in crowds to get lost in. It may take him some time to find us but no doubt he eventually will. If you let us stay here, we will eventually attract his attention."  
  
"To the public we are merely a private school, and we are well prepared for such attacks. I invite you to stay as long as you wish."  
  
"I thank you for you hospitality. Feel free to call upon our services any time and although Casey and Leila would be students I'm sure Isadore would be happy to assist in your med bay, Bartram had a job as a laborer but can do just about anything you show or tell him how to and I was a teacher in Australia, no particular field."  
  
"Don't doubt that I will hold you to that offer." He replied with a smile. 


End file.
